A Little Life in SnowClan
by Frequent Fandom Hopper
Summary: This is the story of a girl... wait, that's a song... This is the story of a she-cat. A semi-normal life in a new clan that was born after the war with the Dark Forest. SkyClan became SnowClan and it adopted some ways of the Mountain cats and re-molded the warrior code. I'm bad at summaries; it goes a bit all over the place, but it must be worth a read.
1. Chapter 1

A Lifetime in SnowClan~~

Leader/Healer: Wildstar- crimson tabby she-cat with golden stripes

Deputy: Tangleclaw- dark golden tabby she-cat with light golden flecks

Warriors:

Mouseclaw- dark brown calico tom

Beecloud- long-haired black and golden tom; apprentice: Drypaw

Torntail- silver tom; apprentice: Goldenpaw

Honeystump- golden she-cat with white flecks

Polarscar- white tom with strange hairless paws; apprentice: Angelpaw

Foxsnatcher- reddish tom with narrow face and bushy tail

Whiteflame- white she-cat with thin, airy fur; apprentice: Flurrypaw

Voleheart- brown tabby tom

Apprentices:

Flurrypaw- white tom

Angelpaw- brown she-cat with white flanks

Drypaw- light brown she-cat, former kittypet

Goldenpaw- orange tom, former kittypet

Queens:

Tulipstem- reddish she-cat

Gorsebloom- yellowish she-cat, caring for Starlingfern's kits: Littlekit (black she-kit with dark brown ears, paws, and tail-tip), and Leopardkit (long-haired brown she-kit)

Mintfeather- white she-cat with cream patches, expecting Voleheart's kits

Elders:

Lostnose- gray tom, retired early due to lost tail and sense of smell

Squirrelscratch-light silvery she-cat

Hollybite- silver she-cat with unusual red spots

**_Prologue_**

Horrible weather disturbances began in a gorge near a twolegplace and every cat thought it was because their ancestors were upset with their way of living. Kittypets and loners were still being let in their Clan. A scrawny young tom stood on a large pile of rocks. He shouted to the Clan, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey scramble beneath the rockpile!"

"You aren't leader yet, Whitetooth!" some cat shouted from the crowd. The rumbling of thunder was so close, nobody could mew in a normal tone. Kits trmbled in the nursery as their mother tried to calm them.

"Sharpstar is dead! Skyrock has split clean in half by lightning and fallen onto his den! I'm sorry to report that he is gone. He walks with our ancestors in a safer, quieter place now."

Few cats yowled over the howling wind and another crack of distant thunder, "WHITESTAR! WHITESTAR!"

A she-cat screeched from the crowd, "THIS IS THE FAULT OF LEAFSTAR! SHE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEGAN LETTING IN SO MANY KITTYPETS!"

"Cherrytail, silence! I know what I must do to save this Clan from crumbling like-!" Whitestar leaped off the rockpile as soon as he felt the earth quiver. The pile toppled over and spread across the ground. "Like this! Our Clan will crumble like the rockpile! If we change it, we can preserve it! first, we keep sure that the kittypets never come back! Drive them off and don't show mercy!" Yowls of agreement came from the crowd. Every cat was digging their claws into the hard dirt beneath them to try and keep themselves from going with the whipping wind. The thunder became more distant and cats heard each other with more ease. The ground stopped shaking with such force.

"It is a sign from StarClan!" the aging Frecklewish rasped. "They agree with us!"

"I have more ideas to improve Clan life! Eliminate Medicine cats! The leader will learn medicine! The deputy will learn medicine!"

Frecklewish gasped, "You're going to drive me off too?! I kitted you! Your mother wanted me to take care of you! You cannot get rid of me!"

"I know all that. You must stay and teach me about medicine."

"What are you saying?"

"Be my deputy."

"You have bees in your brain! I can't be deputy! I'm already the medicine cat!" The world began trembling again.

"We must remold the warrior code! It is inadequate!" The ground trembled on, the wind howled more than before.

"_NEVER!" _The medicine cat screeched. One side of the gorge crumbled into a neat slope that was soon smoothed down with a pelting rain that just began.

"Fine! I'll be your deputy! I haven't much more to live for!" the wind died down and once again, the ground ceased quivering. It was still deathly dark out, but it wasn't as scary as it was moments ago.

A soaking warrior shouted out to his new leader, "So what other ideas do you have to improve this Clan?"

"Well, I have a lot. Starting with SnowClan..."

_**Chapter 1**_

_Littlekit was prancing around the snow_ covered hollow reminding everyone that she and Leopardkit were to be apprenticed soon. Hollybite nearly nipped her ear off after the tenth lap around the hollow. Tulipstem reminded her to stop bouncing so much after eating or she'll get a tummy ache.

"I hardly ate though!" Littlekit pressed. "I'm so excited!" She continued bouncing around until she bumped into her father, Polarscar. "Sorry! I'm really excited!" she apologized and took off again.

After passing the Elders' den, she heard Hollybite call out, "What would Starlingfern say to all this energy you're wasting?" She stopped dead in her tracks at the sound of her mother's name.

Almost a moon ago, Starlingfern was asked to collect herbs for Wildstar that were across an unused thunderpath. On her way back, a huge monster came out of nowhere, scooping up the thunderpath and replacing a new one right behind it. Not knowing it wasn't a dry thunderpath, Starlingfern walked right into it and sunk right into the nasty black substance only to get stuck.

Littlekit shook the memory of her mother's body lying on its side half buried in the thunderpath and thought of her how amazing her apprentice training would be. She's been kissing up to the leader and doing her favors to get on her good side in hopes to become Wildstar's apprentice.

In the middle of her daydream, Littlekit turned her head to see her leader standing on the Fallen Skyrock near her den calling the clan for a meeting.

"Oh, Littlekit! Leopardkit! Come here and get washed! Wildstar called the meeting so early!" Gorsebloom used her tail to beckon the kits over.

After a thorough and brisk grooming, Littlekit felt the warm sun shining on her as she strode across the clearing with her sister, crunching along in the snow.

Wildstar jumped down and began to speak as her Clan settled, "Today, we shall name two new apprentices, and by naming new apprentices, we show that SnowClan will survive and remain strong, yet growing stronger. Leopardkit, step forward. From this moment on, until you receive your warrior name," Leopardkit seemed to be shaking, though frozen, "you shall be known as Leopardpaw," Leopardpaw licked Wildstar's shoulder as the leader rested her muzzle on the new apprentice's head. "Tangleclaw, I am prepared to allow you to have a new apprentice. You shall mentor Leopardpaw. Tangleclaw, I know you will teach this young apprentice your agile and stealthy ways. She must also know the basic knowledge of medicine before she may be next in line as deputy." Wildstar bowed her head to her deputy to let her know that she could touch noses with her apprentice. Littlebelly sank just a little since she couldn't possibly be Wildstar's apprentice now. She sat up even taller knowing that her sister would be deputy one day.

"Littlekit, step forward." She felt every fiber of herself glow as she nearly floated up to her leader. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Littlepaw." When Wildstar's warm muzzle rested on Littlepaw's head, she couldn't feel her paws, but she still took a step forward to lick her shoulder.

"I, myself find it appropriate to have an apprentice. I shall take on Littlepaw to be my own apprentice to learn the ways of a healer and some day take my place." Gasps and murmurs of outrage broke out within the clan. Both the leader and deputy usually do have apprentices, and the apprentices have to be kin, but they have never been from the same litter before! "Settle down, everyone!" Their leaders sour rasping yowl echoed through the great, snowy gorge. "The meeting will continue with no more outbursts! Now, I have chosen Littlepaw to be my apprentice because I feel that when her time comes, she can take care of the clan as well as I did and as well as those before me. I will pass on all of my skills and knowledge to this apprentice. We are all aware that she must know all medicine remedies that I can pass on to her before she is allowed a rightful place in line as leader." The two cats touched noses and a jolt of energy rushed through Littlepaw. She felt like she could climb any tree, catch all the prey and fight off any trespassers!

The Clan dispersed and The leader, deputy, and the two newest apprentices were left beside the Fallen Skyrock. "Leopardpaw, you may take your place in the small den beside Tangleclaw's. Littlepaw, you may take your place in the small den beside mine. Remember, you two must fetch your own bedding plus help the older apprentices with everyone else's. Did I make myself clear?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned to Littlepaw and mewed, "I don't ever want to repeat myself." As she said this, Tangleclaw and Leopardpaw trotted off chatting.

Littlepaw nodded so quickly her head started spinning.

"Good. We're going out into the forest to learn the hunters' crouch and to look at a couple of good places to find the most useful herbs." Wildstar turned and stalked off to the slope that led to the forest. As Littlepaw stood at the top of that slope, she gazed at the sudden drop down to the stony hollow and looked down at the long thin slope that was the entrance to her home.

She was an obedient kit, so she never left the camp. Now that Littlepaw was an apprentice, she felt like she could go anywhere, anytime! She trotted a quick lap around the area of the camp to look down at everyone for a minute, then raced to catch up with Wildstar.

As Littlepaw approached the small patch of plants that her mentor was standing in front of, Wildstar said, "These are borage," she pointed with her tail, "they're good for fever, and they help queens' milk come after her kitting. And this is feverfew. It also cools fever," She pointed with her tail again, "that's marigold, it fights off infection. Any questions so far?"

Littlepaw shook her head and silently assessed herself in her head. _those leaves are marigold, those are feverfew, and that's… _she couldn't remember the name of the lush green leaves with vibrant periwinkle buds sprouting from them. _Borage! That's it! _She looked at her mentor, sure of herself now, and nodded.

"Now scent the air. Breathe in all of your surroundings. Find some prey if you can." Wildstar showed her how to properly smell the air and Littlepaw followed.

"I smell… vole? Or is that mouse?" Littlepaw was feeling a bit insecure because she couldn't tell mouse apart from vole and she knew if she wanted to be the Healer one day, she'd have to hunt and fight like a regular warrior.

"Actually," Wildstar said, to her satisfaction, "it's both. Well done. Now, let's show you how to catch some prey." She dropped into the hunter's crouch and began to stalk a vole that was scrambling to dig a hole to find food underneath the snow.

Littlepaw almost forgot that her mentor was stalking a vole. The only hint that she was there was her deep crimson pelt that contrasted against the sparkling snow. Her moves were swift and agile. The kill was clean and only a couple drops of blood stained the snow. Wildstar lifted her head which showed that she was still firmly clenching the vole's neck in her teeth. The leader's forepaws scuffed snow over the blood to hide the scent and color. She buried the prey.

"Now you try. First smell the air, then crouch and stalk."

Littlepaw obeyed. As she snuck up on a mouse, her tail nearly grazed the snow, but she let it go stiff and didn't move a muscle until she was sure the mouse had no idea she was there. She leaped and as soon as the mouse turned its head, Littlepaw bit its ear! How could this happen? She aimed squarely on its neck, but it turned its head. Thinking quickly, the apprentice used her claws to cut open the prey's throat. It went limp, telling her that it was finally dead. She let its ear go and it slumped on the ground.

"Bad luck. That was a horribly messy catch. It's okay. It was only your first try. You'll get it right some day." Her mentor examined the lousy catch. "Might as well bury it right where it died. It's a shame that it lost so much blood." Littlepaw felt even more insecure at her nasty catch. Who would eat a dried up, stringy mouse that an apprentice caught on her first day? "Don't worry about it! It was just your first catch. I happen to know a queen that would love to have a good mouse. I don't think I've seen her have one for a moon or two."

"Really? Who?"

"Never mind. Let's catch more for the Clan."

They continued hunting until shortly after sunhigh and came back with 3 mice, a vole, and a rabbit.

When Littlepaw caught her third mouse, she finally thought she'd gotten it right. "That catch was so good!" Wildstar had said.

"You think so?" Littlepaw had a glimmer of pride in her eyes and her paws felt energetic again.

"Absolutely brilliant."

When they caught the rabbit together, Littlepaw said, "Whew! What a long day of hunting! I'm so hungry, I could eat this entire rabbit myself!" Littlepaw licked her muzzle as if she really meant it.

Wildstar had taken her seriously and reminded her, "Remember the warrior code. The clan must be fed first. Only eat _after_ all of your duties are done."

Though Littlepaw didn't need to be reminded this, she nodded to be polite.

They were now dragging their kills down the slope.

When they passed the elders' den, the old warriors eyes were wide in astonishment. "Do you expect us to believe that Littlepaw caught all of that, Wildstar?" Lostnose said. You could tell that if he still had his tail, it would be lashing amusedly.

"Actually, she caught the mice on her own and I helped her with the rabbit. The rest were my kills." The leader had always been one to brag about herself whenever she got the chance.

"Three mice is _incredibly_ impressive for an apprentice on her first day!" Gorsebloom appeared behind them. "I'm so very proud of you! And I'm sure Starlingfern would be even more proud!"

"If anyone is allowed to be proud here," Polarscar padded up to his daughter and her kills, "it's me! You are going to be the best hunter in the clan! And a wonderful leader by the look of it. You have a great mentor." He looked at her admiringly.

Wildstar hissed. "I told you never to look at me like that again. You're lucky to still be in this clan after what you did!" She hissed again, picked up her prey, plopped it on the fresh-kill pile and stalked back to her den with humility and ferocity rolling off her from nose to tail-tip. As she finally jumped all the way up to the entrance to her den, she snapped her head to look back her clan and swept a furious gaze across the clearing. Every cat noticed and knew not to bother her.

_Uh-oh! _Littlepaw thought. _She was supposed to take me out for more herb training after we ate!_ Littlepaw looked grim as she picked up the mice by their tails and dragged them to the fresh-kill pile. She nearly fell asleep on her paws, but she stayed awake to finish off her mouse. Despair crept over her as she fell into a deep sleep, remembering the three plants she learned.

_Marigold for infection, Feverfew and Borage for fevers._

* * *

**_Ok, I think I fixed all my mistakes. Enjoy reading! next chaper should be up soon!~_**


	2. Chapter 2

Leader/Healer: Wildstar- crimson tabby she-cat with golden stripes

Deputy: Tangleclaw- dark golden tabby she-cat with light golden flecks

Warriors:

Mouseclaw- dark brown calico tom

Beecloud- long-haired black and golden tom; apprentice: Drypaw

Torntail- silver tom; apprentice: Goldenpaw

Honeystump- golden she-cat with white flecks

Polarscar- white tom with strange hairless paws; apprentice: Angelpaw

Foxsnatcher- reddish tom with narrow face and bushy tail

Whiteflame- white she-cat with thin, airy fur; apprentice: Flurrypaw

Voleheart- brown tabby tom

Apprentices:

Flurrypaw- white tom

Angelpaw- brown she-cat with white flanks

Drypaw- light brown she-cat, former kittypet

Goldenpaw- orange tom, former kittypet

Leopardpaw- long-haired, brown she-cat

Littlepaw- black she-cat with brown ears, paws, and tail-tip

Queens:

Tulipstem- reddish she-cat

Gorsebloom- yellowish she-cat

Mintfeather- white she-cat with cream patches, expecting Voleheart's kits

Elders:

Lostnose- gray tom, retired early due to lost tail and sense of smell

Squirrelscratch-light silvery she-cat

Hollybite- silver she-cat with unusual red spots

_**Chapter 2**_

_Littlepaw opened her eyes to see_ a field full of marigold leaves. She blinked and saw the field changed into feverfew. Once again, she blinked to find a field of borage. She shut her eyes in an attempt to wake up or shift her dream, and she opened her eyes to see the clearing from the Healer's den. She pushed herself up and looked down at the busy cats. She saw new faces and missing faces. Leaping down, Littlepaw walked up to talk to Leopardpaw and her littermate was noticeably bigger and thicker and more muscular. Littlepaw was the same as she ever was though…

"Oh, hey Littlestar. Finally decide to wake up?" Leopardpaw snapped, though a slight tone of playfulness was tingeing her tone.

"Littlestar? Why did you call me that, Leopardpaw?"

"Because you're the leader… So that's your name."

"Since when am I the leader?"

"Since Wildstar died. How else would you become leader off SnowClan? Honestly Littlestar, you've got to pull yourself together!" Her sister, whom she supposed to be the deputy now, shook her head. "Ah, but you only became leader a quarter moon ago. You must be stressed."

"I can't be the Healer of a Clan, Leopardpaw! I only know three herbs!"

"It's a horrible thing, it is. Tangleclaw taught me everything I needed to know about herbs, fighting, and hunting. I became so good, she even retired early so I could be deputy in her place! Oh, being deputy beside Wildstar was great! She was spending so much time with me and Tangleclaw, she forgot to train you properly. You already know this story, why am I telling you again? I put myself on a hunting patrol. I've got to go." Leopardpaw put a paw forward, but Littlepaw put her tail in front of her.

"No, please stay and…" Littlepaw, Little_star_, struggled to find the right order of words to say, "refresh my memory."

"Ok, I will." Leopardpaw continued. "Wildstar felt bad about not training you properly. She tried to kill herself, but she still had a few lives left, so instead of wasting lives, she stayed clan leader. She was about to jump off the high cliff past the edge of the woods when she told me what Polarscar did. It was horrible! So after she died and you were off getting your 9 lives, I chased him off the cliff too." Leopardpaw let out a long sigh. "It's really sad how we lost both our parents. But we're in charge now, so nobody needs to tell us what to do."

"Leopardpaw, why-?" She was cut off.

"I told you the story, now let me be! I have to hunt for our clan! And stop calling me Leopardpaw! I'm Leopard_blood_ and I have been for almost 5 moons!" Leopardpaw-Leopard_blood_ stalked off and up the slope.

Littlepaw felt so scared, it was as if some cat was lightly pummeling her belly. The feeling got stronger and stronger until it stopped completely out of nowhere.

Then her tail was yanked, "YAH!" Littlepaw yowled.

"Come on!" Leopardpaw, now young again, pressed. "We're doing more hunting practice today!" She added, under her breath, but loud enough for Littlepaw to make out, "Not that you need it."

"Hey! Don't worry about my prey from yesterday! It was just… beginners' luck! Who knows, maybe you'll catch twice as much as I caught yesterday, today!" Littlepaw tried to make her sister feel less insecure about her measly catch of a single vole from yesterday.

"Ok! And then tomorrow, I'll beat you in battle training!"

"Wait, we have herb training tomorrow. At least, I do."

"I can ask Tangleclaw if we can go herb hunting tomorrow."

"Brilliant! Then I can collect more herbs than you!"

"No way! Bet I can hold 2 or 3 times more leaves than you!"

"Bet you can't!"

"We'll see!"

"You're on!" Littlepaw raced out of camp to find where her mentor might be waiting for her, Leopardpaw on her heels. They found their mentors sharing tongues under a dead willow tree.

"Oh, good." Tangleclaw lifted her head to see the apprentice's slump down, panting. "You finally made it. How did you get her up?" She said, looking at Leopardpaw.

Leopardpaw stood up straight and replied, "I beat her belly into a pulp, and when she still wouldn't wake, I… uh, well… I bit her tail and yanked it from under her." Leopardpaw sounded sheepish, but stood like a statue of a well brought up warrior.

"Ok. Now we can show you some more herbs."

Littlepaw relaxed along with her sister as they padded deeper into the forest.

2 moons flew by and it was time to assess the two apprentices on their basic medicine skills. It was argued about for a while between the leader and the deputy, but it was decided that the birth of Mintfeather's kits would be good for their assessment. They had drilled what to do in case her kits came in the night, so they should be prepared if they were listening.

This was the day that they had been waiting for. The day of their medicine assessment. Leopardpaw ran back down the slope with a thick stick in her mouth for Mintfeather to bite down on as Littlepaw soothed her like Wildstar had told her.

"You are doing great." Littlepaw gulped. Kit birth was so gross (yet beautiful) and she hoped that she wouldn't have to do it so often. "I can see the first one coming… Oh, he's so cute!" She bit open the sac and then carefully moved the little white tom out of the way and she and her sister licked the kit's fur the wrong way to get him warm. Littlepaw turned to deliver the next kit as Leopardpaw kept licking the first kit. A second kit's head was showing as he came out and Littlepaw moved him too and began licking. Finally, a brown she-kit was born and licked to warmth. The terror and nausea from the nursery died down as Voleheart came in to help Mintfeather name the kits.

They had decided that the white tom be called Snowkit. The other tom was named Thrushkit, and the she-kit was Juniperkit. Thrushkit was white too with brown spots. Juniperkit was dark gray with a bluish tinge.

Each with a small mouthful of borage, the leader's and deputy's apprentices reappeared into the nursery and gave the leaves to Mintfeather.

"Thank-you. You were great. I'll be sure to tell your mentors how well you did!"

"You don't have to. We saw the whole thing." Wildstar, followed by Tangleclaw, appeared from behind the nursery. "There was a hole behind the wall that I looked through. And as for you two," The healer turned to the two apprentices, "you passed. Teamwork is a virtue. Your next assessment, in nearly just past a moon, will be on hunting. Brush up on your techniques or make up some new ones to really impress us. You may take your pick from the fresh-kill pile now." Turning to Voleheart, she said, "Can you tell one of the apprentices to patch up the hole behind the nursery? If they object or refuse, send them to me." She walked out and scampered up to her den.

Littlepaw was ecstatic. She didn't feel hungry since the thought of passing her first assessment made her so excited. The apprentice picked up the smallest prey she could find and carried it over to the Skyrock to eat by Leopardpaw, who was also eating lightly.

"I'm so happy, I can't eat a proper meal! This young squirrel is so stringy," Leopardpaw complained. "But, it's better than nothing."

Littlepaw just grunted in reply. She couldn't speak. All she could think about was that scrawny little she-cat that she birthed not too long ago. And her upcoming assessment on hunting. _I can't worry about a kit right now. Her mother can take good care of her. I need to focus on my hunting. What new moves can I make up to really surprise Wildstar?_ She finished up her little thrush and padded over to the apprentices' den with Leopardpaw. They leaped up to it and shared tongues until sleep swept over them.

Early the next morning, Littlepaw got up with the dawn patrol. Carefully, not to wake up her mentor (since their dens are right next to each other), she snuck out behind the patrol. The apprentice went into a well-hidden clearing behind a lot of ferns and vines and began practicing her hunting techniques. She even tried to create a new move. She started with a simple swipe and, acting as if she missed, flipped and twisted high and far over a leaf and landed with her teeth sunk into it. Proud of herself, she went out of the clearing and searched for prey to use the move on. A little vole was scuttling around a tree and started nibbling on something.

Now was her chance! She started simply with the hunters' crouch, leaped at the prey, scooped at it, then sent herself into the corkscrew move she was in moments ago. The creature had no chance! Her teeth sunk into its back and broke the vole's spine. It went limp between her jaws and she carried it proudly back to camp.

After plopping it on the fresh-kill pile, she went back to her nest. She fell asleep instantly, but soon was woken by her mentor. "We need to talk." They walked out of the camp and into the forest. They ended up in the clearing that Littlepaw was practicing in. "I noticed a fresh, clean kill of a vole on the fresh-kill pile when I walked out of my den. I also heard you scrambling up to your den about the same time."

Her mentor's words were stern. She felt a flash of hot embarrassment.

"It was the cleanest kill I've ever seen you catch. Can you show me how you did it? Right here in this clearing would be fine." Wildstar stepped back to the edge of the clearing and sat by a fern.

Littlepaw felt nervous under the watch of an audience. She performed the move on a clump of leaves and stood slowly turning her gaze to Wildstar.

"Excellent! That was amazing! Did you make up that move?"

"Yes, just this morning." Littlepaw was trembling with excitement and fear.

"I loved it. Would you mind showing the other apprentices and warriors?"

"Well, I uh… you see…"

"You made it up to surprise me during your assessment?" Littlepaw nodded. "Well, I suppose in another moon's time when your it comes around, Tangleclaw can assess you and I can assess your sister. That way we can all be happy. You can surprise someone with your new move, Tangleclaw will be very impressed, Leopardpaw will enjoy having the _Healer_ watch her on her assessment, and I… I can stop having to look at you stumbling along!" she mewed playfully to her apprentice. Littlepaw hasn't seen her this light and giddy before. "Since we're still out here, we may as well catch something other than dead leaves."

Littlepaw followed her out of the clearing through a tall fern and they set out for prey.

Once they arrived back in camp, Littlepaw noticed her sister changing out her own bedding. "Oh, good!" she called. "I'm glad I started with Tangleclaw's and my bedding first and not the nursery! Now I have you to help me." She dashed over to clean out Wildstar's and her bedding then moved on to help Leopardpaw with the nursery. As she dragged out the first set, she noticed Wildstar and Polarscar arguing beneath the shadow of the Fallen Skyrock. Her mentor's back was arched and her fur fluffed out. She spat at Littlepaw's father and tried to walk off around him, but he held up his tail to stop her. She whipped around and scratched him. He glared at her then his gaze went down. As Wildstar stalked away into the forest, Littlepaw began wondering.

_What did he do to make her act this way to her own littermate?_


	3. Chapter 3

Leader/Healer: Wildstar- crimson tabby she-cat with golden stripes

Deputy: Tangleclaw- dark golden tabby she-cat with light golden flecks

Warriors:

Mouseclaw- dark brown calico tom

Beecloud- long-haired black and golden tom

Torntail- silver tom

Honeystump- golden she-cat with white flecks

Polarscar- white tom with strange hairless paws

Foxsnatcher- reddish tom with narrow face and bushy tail

Whiteflame- white she-cat with thin, airy fur

Voleheart- brown tabby tom

Drystream- light brown she-cat, former kittypet

Goldenriver- orange tom, former kittypet

Flurryswipe- white tom

Angelleaf- brown she-cat with white flanks

Apprentices:

Leopardpaw- long-haired, fluffy brown she-cat with unusual leopard spots.

Littlepaw- black she-cat with brown ears, paws, and tail-tip

Queens:

Tulipstem- reddish she-cat

Gorsebloom- yellowish she-cat

Mintfeather- white she-cat with cream patches, mother of Voleheart's kits: Snowkit (white tom), Thrushkit (white tom with brown spots), and Juniperkit (dark gray she-cat with bluish tint)

Elders:

Lostnose- gray tom, retired early due to lost tail and sense of smell

Squirrelscratch-light silvery she-cat

Hollybite- silver she-cat with unusual red spots

_**Chapter 3**_

Climbing dpwn from her den, Littlepaw reflected back on the last 2 moons that just happened. She learned every battle move her mentor and her sister's mentor could teach her. She grew very tall but thin. Her small patch of belly fur grew back brown, like her paws, ears, and tail-tip.

She lost the measly patch of fur to an intense battle training session with Leopardpaw. As they tumbled down a hill, their claws got unsheathed. Not much blood dropped, but she lost a tuft of fur that grew back a different color.

Littlepaw decided to go out hunting, but realized that she shouldn't because her final warrior assessment would be today! This would help her mentor determine whether she is fit to be healer one day! She'd have to hunt and list everything she knows about medicine as well as name go out into the forest and point out the herbs.

"Littlepaw," Wildstar was stretching outside of her den. "We'd better go now. It will take a long time for you to tell me everything."

Littlepaw nodded briskly and stretched quickly.

"Excellent. Let's go."

As they walked through the forest, Littlepaw used her tail to point out the leaves as her mentor was close behind. She knew each herb and their uses.

"Burdock root over there," She twitched her ear to the small clump of thick fat leaves, "is for rat bites. We need it in case the rat colony from the twoleg barn revolts again. Or if one decides to attack without the colony."

"Nice fun facts. Keep going."

Things went on like this, with Littlepaw pointing out _all_ the clumps of herbs, giving their uses, and telling her mentor a fun fact or something else she remembered from when Wildstar first showed her the herb.

They _finally_ got through the entire forest, and it was only just past sunhigh.

"On the way back, you can hunt," Wildstar began scraping up a tree and Littlepaw began scenting the air.

_No,_ she thought. _Prey would be a little farther on. Maybe near the stream?_ She set off and when she was almost 5 tail-lengths from the stream, she scented the air. A water vole was splashing around, trying to catch a quick meal. Littlepaw ducked down and wished silently that the vole hadn't noticed. Her pelt was so noticeable that she was surprised it hadn't moved.

Instead of using the corkscrew move she showed Tangleclaw during her progress assessment, she circled the prey staying as close yet as far as possible, careful not to splash in the water. She kept her distance until she decided that she was downwind. Littlepaw ended up behind the creature, leaped at it, and caught its throat from behind, ripping its neck in half above her as blood dripped into the stream and washed away quickly.

It wouldn't be juicy enough for an elder, but maybe a warrior might have it. If worse comes to worse, she'll have the dry, plump thing for herself. She went off a few fox-lengths and buried the catch. Scenting for more prey, Littlepaw crouched at the sound of scuttling. A puny mouse was sitting between a few boulders. It was a measly catch, but maybe Mintfeather might let her kits try it.

Littlepaw caught this one with a corkscrew, pushing it between the boulders and killing it on the other side. As she lifted her head, she saw a crimson pelt flash from above her onto the boulder. She turned around to see Wildstar looking down at her.

"Excellent catch. It never saw you coming." Wildstar seldom gave out compliments. Littlepaw felt pride swarm her belly. "I want to see one more catch, with some technique that I never showed you. And make it something new." The healer started off slow, then built up to a sprint through the forest and up a tree, hidden by newleaf leaves.

_Something new?_ Littlepaw wondered if she could ever be able to think of something so quickly without any practice. She thought of everything her mentor taught her: stalking on the ground, catching in a tree, pulling from a crevice in a rock. Littlepaw couldn't think of a single move that she's never seen before. _I've made up something new in the past, but I had all the time in the world then._

Then it hit her. She had one move that her mentor would _never_ have taught her in a million years! Littlepaw had always complained about her fear of heights, so they didn't do so much training in trees. She summoned up all of her strength and bravery and pelted up a tree to a branch high enough to catch a bird then she went a couple fox-lengths higher.

The Healer's apprentice spotted a starling a fox-length away. She slowly inched her way over to in and as it took off, she pelted down the branch and leaped into the air. She batted it with her forepaw and caught its neck mid-air. She landed on a branch in the next tree over. Feeling triumphant, she dropped down and trotted to her buried prey and carried it toward the camp when she couldn't scent Wildstar over her prey. Throwing her catches on the fresh-kill pile, she kept the fat vole and sat by the slope near the forest. She ate as she waited for the leader to get back, but after finishing up her meal, her mentor hadn't returned. Once Littlepaw decided to tell Tangleclaw about it, Wildstar came pelting in.

"My apprentice is gone! She fell out of a tree trying to catch a bird! I need patrols to go out and find her. Mouseclaw, Honeystump, and Whiteflame, go in one patrol. Polarscar, Angelleaf, Flurryswipe, and Torntail in another." Angelleaf and Flurryswipe had become warriors half a moon ago.

Whiteflame had demanded her little tom be her apprentice, and even challenged her leader for tearing her away from her most fragile kit. He had been so shy and weak. He would only talk to his mother. Not even his littermate or his father could get a peep out of him. Now he's the most charismatic and loved tom in the clan, not to mention the most handsome.

Drypaw and Goldenpaw were also made warriors, but they were named a moon and a quarter ago. They are now Drystream and Goldenriver.

"Wildstar," Tangleclaw had spoken out among the confusion and panic, "your apprentice is right behind you."

"Hm?" She whipped around and finally noticed her dark apprentice against the red clay that made up a sharp wall of the clearing. "I thought you fell after you caught the starling! I saw you catch it in the air, but I didn't see you land. I thought you fell and got carried away by a fox or something! What happened to you?"

Anxious eyes were staring at Littlepaw from the fresh-kill pile and all around the clearing and above her, even little heads popped out from the nursery to see what was going on. "Well, I leaped up, caught the bird and landed on the next tree below me. It was the closest one to my paws. Then I carried on to get my kills and got to camp and waited for you."

"Brilliant!" The leader yowled. She turned to speak to her clan, "You all should have seen how high up in the tree she was. You had to be there."

"Seriously?" A voice yowled through the clearing. Everyone turned to see who it was.

Squirrelscratch, sunning herself by the entrance of the elders' den was scowling at Littlepaw. "You expect us to believe this mouse-hearted kit climbed up a tree?" Glares were shot at the elder for being so fox-hearted toward an apprentice that was about to become a warrior. "Come on, we all know she's afraid of heights. And under so much pressure? How could she climb a tree higher than Juniperkit?" Murmurs of agreement slowly rose out of the crowd.

Rage swelled up in Littlepaw. _I'll be leader one day. That means I can exile you._ She unsheathed her claws, but didn't move any other muscles because she wasn't leader yet. There was no way she could get rid of an elder so easily when she hasn't gotten a warrior name yet. _Perhaps this is a test. They wanted to provoke me and see how I deal with outbursts like this._

"I agree, Squirrelscratch." Littlepaw had found her voice and calmed herself enough to sheath her claws and temporarily keep her fur flat. "I know as well as any cat here that I'm without a doubt afraid of heights. The only reasonable way I could climb a tree so high is because I wanted to please my mentor. She asked for something new, and I gave her something she would never had expected from me. Now, I ask my mentor and your leader, do you find me deserving of my warrior name? Am I ready to become leader when you step down or lose your last life? Tell us all. Am I worthy, to be these cats' leader?"

Wildstar dipped her head for a moment then looked up, swept her gaze around the hollow, and stared at Littlepaw. "Yes." Littlepaw dipped her head and turned and dipped her head to the Clan. Still unsure whether it was a test, she looked at Squirrelscratch, who was looking straight ahead through slitted eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Whoops, I never did a disclaimer! I don't own Warriors, or the Warrior Code**_

_**This all may SEEM weird, but trust me, it all comes together. Maybe after you finish reading the entire thing, you can re-read it. You'll probably understand then...**_

* * *

Leader/Healer: Wildstar- crimson tabby she-cat with golden stripes

Runner-up: Littlebelly- black she-cat with brown ears, paws, and tail-tip

Deputy: Tangleclaw- dark golden tabby she-cat with light golden flecks

Runner-up: Leopardpelt- long-haired, fluffy brown she-cat with unusual leopard spots.

Warriors:

Mouseclaw- dark brown calico tom

Beecloud- long-haired black and golden tom

Torntail- silver tom

Honeystump- golden she-cat with white flecks

Polarscar- white tom with strange hairless paws

Foxsnatcher- reddish tom with narrow face and bushy tail

Whiteflame- white she-cat with thin, airy fur

Voleheart- brown tabby tom

Drystream- light brown she-cat, former kittypet

Goldenriver- orange tom, former kittypet

Flurryswipe- white tom

Angelleaf- brown she-cat with white flanks

Apprentices: _None_

Queens:

Tulipstem- reddish she-cat

Gorsebloom- yellowish she-cat

Mintfeather- white she-cat with cream patches, mother of Voleheart's kits: Snowkit (white tom), Thrushkit (white tom with brown spots), and Juniperkit (dark gray she-cat with bluish tint)

Elders:

Lostnose- gray tom, retired early due to lost tail and sense of smell

Squirrelscratch-light silvery she-cat

Hollybite- silver she-cat with unusual red spots

_**Chapter 4**_

Leopardpaw and Littlepaw were sharing tongues by the deputy's den. "Can you believe it? We're going to be warriors! And we'll be leader and deputy in due time too! Oh, what do you think they'll name us? Surely I'll be something like Leopardspots, or Leopardtail. Maybe I'll be Leopardfur."

"Probably." Littlepaw was overrun with joy, she couldn't speak.

"I bet they'll call you something like Littleear, or Littletail."

"Oh, no! You don't think they'd still call me Littlepaw, would you?"

"Wildstar might go with Littlefoot." (If you haven't noticed, they're trying to name all of the places that are brown on Littlepaw)

Thinking of her newly browned spot on her belly, Littlepaw mewed, "I could be just Littlespot."

"Let all cats big enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Skyrock for a Clan meeting!" Wildstar was standing up on the Skyrock, and Littlepaw and Leopardpaw finished sharing tongues and strode over to the mass of cats and weaved their way to the front.

"Littlepaw and Leopardpaw, please step up here." The two she-cats leaped up the stepping stones to the Skyrock. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have worked harder than other apprentices to learn the ways of your noble and honorable code plus the way of medicine cats. Tangleclaw, has your apprentice shown her knowledge of simple herbs, fighting skills and hunting?"

"Yes, she has. Her initiative has proven well and I am sure she will succeed me well."

"Then by the power given to me by StarClan, from this day, you will be forever known as Leopardpelt." The healer set her muzzle on the future deputy's head and Leopardpelt licked her shoulder. _I'm glad her name isn't something brutal like Leopardblood._

Littlepaw heard Flurryswipe start chanting, "Leopardpelt! Leopardpelt!"

Every other cat joined in, "Leopardpelt!"

Once the cheering died down, Leopardpelt stepped out of the way. "Littlepaw." She stepped up to her mentor. "For _your_ initiative, knowledge of all herbs, trustfulness, and bravery today, you are granted your warrior name. From this day, until you earn your 9 lives, you shall be known as Littlebelly. After my dying breath has been taken, you will go to the shimmering cave to earn 8 more lives. Use them well to support your clan." Her muzzle was suddenly on Littlebelly's head and the new warrior licked Wildstar's shoulder.

* * *

After another moon, Angelleaf moved into the nursery. She and Goldenriver have been more than friendly and playful since they started sharing the apprentices' den. Now that they were sharing dens again, it was only a matter of time that they should be parents.

Flurryswipe seemed to have his heart set on Leopardpelt, and Leopardpelt wanted him just as badly, but if she were to become deputy soon, she couldn't have kits. Tangleclaw was getting near the elder stage of life and she could become one soon, or die a deputy.

The way things had been lately, Tangleclaw was almost always in her den with Wildstar looking after her and Littlebelly looking after the Clan, or vice versa with Littlebelly treating Tangleclaw and Wildstar out on patrols.

Other than worrying about her relationship with Flurryswipe, Leopardpelt had also been organizing patrols for Tangleclaw. She finally had the hang of things after a quarter moon.

Littlebelly was on her way to the fresh-kill pile after a long, hard day of hunting for prey and herbs. She decided a thin squirrel. With the squirrel's tail dragging on the gravel of the gorge, she carried it over to her den.

Littlebelly stumbled over something fluffy, dropped her squirrel and landed in the dust. As she stood up, she noticed the fuzz ball that she stumbled over was Juniperkit.

"When I become an apprentice, can you be my mentor?" The kit asked. Her eyes were big and round, hard to resist nonetheless.

"We'll see who Wildstar chooses to be your mentor." Littlebelly was getting a bit nervous. She knew she could mentor an apprentice, she had all the skills in the Clan, plus Juniperkit wouldn't have to learn any herbs.

"But I want to know if you can _now!_" The kit's pleading eyes were like black holes of adorability. Nobody could resist the little gray fur ball. She always got what she wanted. Could Wildstar resist this kit?

"Oh, uh… You can find out in 3 more moons. Once you're 6 moons old, you can be an apprentice. Until then, I can show you the hunter's crouch and a battle move or two, I suppose." Now she had the kit's dark, lovely eyes gleaming with joy.

"Could you show me now?"

"No. Now I have to pick something _else_ off the fresh-kill pile. You made me get gravel and sand all over mine." Littlebelly picked up her dusty squirrel to clean up then made her way back to the pile of prey. She chose the smallest catch, a vole, and quickly but carefully strode to her den by Wildstar's. She spoke to herself, "I need to clear out my bedding soon. This moss is getting tougher and more stinky every time I sit in it."

Polarscar was padding over to Littlebelly's den by the time she finished her vole. Leopardpelt was with him. "Come with me. We have to chat."

Littlebelly followed her father with her sister at her side. They stopped walking once they passed through some ferns into Littlebelly's practice clearing that she found as an apprentice two moons ago.

"I want to tell you both why Wildheart - oops, Wild_star_ - Doesn't seem very fond of me." The sisters looked at each other and sat to listen. Polarscar sat too and went on, "When we were kits, I would be around Whitestar almost all the time. He and I were very close as far as kin goes. See, he was Lostnose's father. IT seemed like he was going to choose me as his apprentice in another moon, but our whole litter, all five of us, plus our parents, the queens and elders, almost every cat except for some warriors knew that Wildkit wanted to be leader one day. I had my heart set on becoming deputy, but I thought I couldn't ever be good enough for that, so I settled for being the best tree hunter in the Clan. At the time, I still had my paw fur." A purr escaped Littlebelly's father before he went on. "Wildkit was trying to get in good with the leader so she could have just as much of a chance as I would have. I personally told Whitestar that I didn't want to be the Clan's healer. Wildkit didn't know I told him this and tried to get rid of me, the competition, so she could be the Healer's apprentice. I told her it was a big mistake. She held her little kit-claws at my throat with my head hanging over the Skyrock. Before we were sitting like that though, She pounced on me and we tumbled like kits. Wildkit threw me into a bramble bush and I couldn't get my paws out. I lost all my paw fur that day and it never grew back. She pounced me again and we landed over Skyrock. Wildkit threatened to pierce her tiny, sharp claws into my throat but I purposely flipped backward and I saw her run away from the edge. I felt successful, but I ended up landing on Whitestar and caused him to lose a life. Since then, Wildstar has held _me _responsible for Whitestar's second to last life. From the moment she became leader, to this day, she has made me work my tail-tip off trying to repay the life I owe to her mentor. I haven't gotten any thanks, just scowls and lectures. I've been treated so poorly by my only sister. Well, only sister from my litter. Tangleclaw was the first kit. Anyway, so that's why she seems to hate me. Now that you know, will you help me get revenge on her?"

"How would we do that?" Littlebelly couldn't think of any way to embarrass her leader. She was a brutal but understanding leader. She could rip the innards out of a cat in a single swipe of a paw.

"I've been thinking that you," he turned his gaze from Leopardpelt to Littlebelly, "could ask her to step down and become an elder. Then you can invite kittypets and loners into the Clan to completely demolish her Clan into the shadows of her former... 'greatness'."

"Absolutely not!" Leopardpelt yowled. Littlebelly was appalled at her father's suggestion. "SkyClan worked hard to build up to this strong a Clan and changed it to SnowClan in honor of its profound change. It stopped allowing kittypets, it devoted itself to the warrior code, it adopted new ways of leadership." Leopardpelt finished with a hiss, "We will never let this clan fall to that softness ever again!"

Feeling hot with embarrassment for her sister, Littlebelly joined in and spat, "I would rather eat _twoleg dirt_ than even _trying _to live like those pampered little vole-hearted creatures that twolegs hold in their nests. No offense, Voleheart."

"Huh?" He mewed, mouth full of thrush feathers. He was on a hunting patrol nearby.

Littlebelly followed her sister as they stalked back to camp. They went straight to their dens and shared tongues outside.

"I can't believe he'd ask us to do such a fox-hearted thing! Or, would that be mouse-hearted?" Leopardpelt mewed. "Well, whichever it was, it was definitely mouse-_brained_!"

"I can't believe him." Littlebelly yawned and said, "I'm going to my nest. I need to rest before I clean out everyone's bedding."

"Leave it to the… That's right. We won't have _any _apprentices for 3 whole moons. I better get to sleep too. I wouldn't leave you to that alone."

"I don't need your help. I can do it on my own. Besides, Tangleclaw is almost on her way to the elders' den, if not StarClan."

"It's no trouble. We've been doing it for the last 5 moons anyway."

"Okay. I supposed your help would be best if any."

"Then it's settled. After I send off the first patrol, organize the next few, and get Tangleclaw some food, I'll wake you and we can get started on the bedding." She got up and circled her nest. Littlebelly decided she could go for a walk. After a couple laps around the gorge, she decided that every cat, except for Whiteflame, was asleep. She went to bed too, with kittypets filling her dreams.

* * *

_**This chapter was short and choppy because I had school going on and we had tests and all. On top of that, I was stuck with chores, being the baby and both of my siblings moved out...**_


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back! If you're new, meaning if you read this after April 20, then you're cool. Just keep reading the story. no need to continue reading the author's note. BUT! If you started reading from the VERY. FIRST. CHAPTER. I'll have to ask you to start over because I added a few things and fixed some mistakes from the other chapters. If you think that's so much work, then just go to the chap. 1 page and you _could_ just read the prologue. Buuuuut... If there's something from the other chapters that leads to a later chapter, then... hmm... you might possibly confused get/be... like triangle, 4 o'clock, pizza, orange pantyhose, and so on and so forth.**

* * *

Leader/Healer: Wildstar- crimson tabby she-cat with golden stripes

Runner-up: Littlebelly- black she-cat with brown ears, paws, and tail-tip

Deputy: Leopardpelt- long-haired, fluffy brown she-cat with unusual leopard spots.

Warriors:

Mouseclaw- dark brown calico tom

Beecloud- long-haired black and golden tom

Torntail- silver tom

Polarscar- white tom with strange hairless paws

Foxsnatcher- reddish tom with narrow face and bushy tail

Whiteflame- white she-cat with thin, airy fur

Voleheart- brown tabby tom

Goldenriver- orange tom, former kittypet

Flurryswipe- white tom

Angelleaf- brown she-cat with white flanks

Apprentices: _None_

Queens:

Honeystump- golden she-cat with white flecks, expecting Beecloud's kits

Tulipstem- reddish she-cat

Mintfeather- white she-cat with cream patches, mother of Voleheart's kits: Snowkit (white tom), Thrushkit (white tom with brown spots), and Juniperkit (dark gray she-cat with bluish tint)

Elders:

Lostnose- gray tom, retired early due to lost tail and sense of smell

Squirrelscratch-light silvery she-cat

Gorsebloom- yellowish she-cat

_**Chapter 5**_

_Two moons have passed and Littlebelly_ was waking up from one of her recurring kittypet dreams. Her clanmates wearing collars, eating twoleg slop. She shuddered at the thought of her Clan being shut up in a soft cozy nest every night, instead of sticking it out in the wilderness and the gorge. Pushing the thought away, she slowly padded her way to the center of the clearing to get a look at the whole camp.

Littlebelly thought of how the SkyClan camp might have looked before it changed so much. Weather had beaten the edges making it a mouse length shorter. The Skyrock fell because of this, and the rock pile fell in turn.

Tangleclaw and Hollybite passed away, both from a mysterious fever in leaf-fall. Drystream got terribly sick after eating a diseased squirrel and died in Littlebelly's paws. It doesn't haunt her as badly as it did a moon ago, but the she-cat was still being grieved for. Gorsebloom, the she-cat that watched over her and Leopardpelt when their mother died, moved to the elders' den to join her old mate.

She spotted her sister, SnowClan's usually proud deputy, emerge from her den with her tail dragging. "Leopardpelt!" she called.

The deputy looked up and trotted over. "Yes, Littlebelly? Did you want to be put on dawn patrol?"

"No, I just wanted to know something. What's eating you. You were proud and merry for the last moon, why are you sulking around today?"

Leopardpelt began getting defensive, "Oh, please! Let me wake up! I've only just gotten up!" She let out a fake-amused purr that didn't slip by Littlebelly.

"What did you dream about?" Littlebelly pressed, eyes narrowed. She knew she should let her sister go and organize the patrols, but not enough warriors were quite awake yet. Dawn's sunlight was only just beginning to filter into the gorge.

"Well…" Leopardpelt faded off.

"Tell me! We can go to my - our - clearing." Littlebelly trotted off to the little clearing and waited there as her sister sorted out patrols quickly. Once she arrived, Littlebelly stopped tree-clambering and sat still to listen to the story.

"Don't be upset after what I tell you." Littlebelly nodded her head briskly. Leopardpelt began, "I was in a field. It was just beautiful. Flowers and lush grass everywhere. I began chasing a butterfly, but I stopped when I spotted a cat some ways away. I ran after it and the cat was Tangleclaw."

"_Tangleclaw _came to visit you in a dream?" Littlebelly couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was such an honor.

"Yes! I know! It's exciting! First she congratulated me on how well I've been doing as deputy. She said she was really proud. Then, she told me that maybe, just maybe, I should consider what Polarscar told us."

"_What?!"_ Littlebelly didn't understand why the former deputy would ever want to make the Clan as it was before.

"She said that Whitestar was wrong about the signs from StarClan. The storm and rumbling earth were not omens. They just… happened! StarClan was okay with the daylight-warriors coming and going, so long as they had done their duty. I know I was against it before, but that was only because I believed the bad weather was from StarClan about the kittypets!"

"I still don't really like the idea of taking in _kittypets_, but if Tangleclaw really did visit you last night…" Littlebelly eased off because she was unsure whether her sister had lied to her or not.

"I would never lie to you! We are closer than a branch on a tree! I swear by StarClan and I swear on my deputyship that I am not lying! If I am, let me be struck by lightning and carried to The Place of No Stars!"

"The Place of No Stars is just a kits' tale! You wouldn't actually believe that evil cats get carried over there, do you?"

"I've heard of a medicine cat that _saw_ the Dark Forest in his dreams. Many shady cats live there with only each other and their murderous ambitions. Not even a morsel to eat!"

"That sounds horrible…" Littlebelly gave her head a shake to remember what they were chattering about before. "Oh, I believe you, about your dream. I'll help you all I can once I become leader."

"Thank you!" Leopardpelt rubbed her muzzle on Littlebelly's shoulder as thanks then scampered off to hunt. Littlebelly strode off between some ferns and went to renew a scent marker.

After she marked the tree that marked the border of her clan in the forest, she noticed two pairs of green eyes glaring at her a few more tail-lengths into the forest. "Who are you?"

Two dark gray tabby she-cats stepped to her hesitantly. One looked young enough to still be a kit and the other was older. The older she-cat spoke up, "Hello. I am Cloud and this is my kit, Coal. We come from Twolegplace in search of new hunting ground." Littlebelly looked at them both for a bit, noticing how skinny they were.

"Come with me." Littlebelly realized she must have been intimidating to the scrawny she-cat and her kit. "I-I won't hurt you. I want to take you back to my Clan's camp."

"Clan?" The she-kit mewed. Littlebelly began walking to the gorge and after a bit of hesitation, the mother followed, her kit on her heels.

Once she got them into camp, Wildstar was hopping down from her den. "Who are these cats?" she rasped. "I hope they weren't stealing prey!"

"No, Wildstar. They come from Twolegplace in search of a new home."

"Do you expect me to allow them into my Clan? Kittypets have no respect for our code! I believe Sharpstar and Whitestar have proven that!"

The mother gave her a furious look. "We are _not_ kittypets! My kit and I are strays! All we need is food and shelter for a day or two, then we'll be on our way!" More cats poked their heads of dens to see what the commotion was.

Wildstar grunted and mewed carefully, "Fine. You may stay for a maximum of 3 sunrises," Wildstar began snarling, gradually becoming more rude and raspy like her usual self, "but you must catch your own prey. Until three days are up, you will be marked as prisoners for trespassing on _my_ territory. You may not have a nest and can never return to this camp after you have left."

Littlebelly rebuked, "Wildstar! Surely that is a bit much of a punishment for a helpless mother and her kits! And how can they hunt for themselves if they cannot return to camp once they leave!"

"I feel right with my punishment!" Wildstar spat. "I am Clan leader, so I make decisions. Once you have your 9 lives, Littlebelly, _you_ can deal with outsiders, but I will not tolerate your back-lashing! Until they are well clear of our territory after the third sunrise, you may join them in the small prisoner cave!"

Littlebelly hissed and leaped onto Wildstar. She clawed and spat at her. She felt a searing pain as the old cat bit into her shoulder. She yowled in fury as she tried to claw her off. After trying so hard to shake Wildstar loose, she went limp. An earsplitting screech cut through the air.

Leopardpelt was bounding down the slope leaving her prey behind. She jumped over Littlebelly and scratched Wildstar's face. Wildstar's grip loosened. Littlebelly whipped around to face her. Leopardpelt and Littlebelly began scratching and nipping Wildstar.

Once Littlebelly realized that Wildstar's body was trying to go limp, She let go and pulled Leopardpelt off by her bushy tail. The whole Clan stood around their leader's body in shock.

She was losing a life. This would be her fifth life. The others were lost to illness. Four lives will be all that is left of Wildstar. When she wakes up, she'll do something horrible to the sisters. But Littlebelly was prepared for whatever was coming to her.

The next sunrise, Leopardpelt was re-dressing Wildstar's wounds. She hadn't done anything to them. When she woke up, she dragged herself to her den without bothering anybody else. Before the sun had set, she walked out with self-dressed wounds. The Healer picked a small bit of prey from the fresh-kill pile and slowly and stiffly padded back to her den. She stumbled a bit, but made it to her nest before collapsing from exhaustion.

Littlebelly organized a pawful of patrols for her sister, as she had nothing else to do. Squirrelscratch stared down at her from the elders' den. She felt another wave of shame wash over her. She hadn't meant to cause Wildstar to lose a life. Neither did Leopardpelt. But the elder was only looking at Littlebelly. She kept her head down and thought of something to talk about with Cloud. "How old is Coal?"

"Oh, I'm not sure. Probably almost 6 moons." The mother glanced at her kit, who was nibbling on some fresh-kill.

"She sure looks like you. Almost exactly!"

"She looks like her father too. But I shouldn't talk about him. He's dead to us."

Littlebelly gasped, "Really? What happened?"

"He always left me during the day after Coal was kitted," the dark tabby she-cat whispered. "He was only there at night when she was asleep. I would sometimes stay up all night waiting for him, but he sometimes never came. Then one day out of the blue, he says we shouldn't be mates anymore! I stayed put even after he said I should leave 'his' nest. One night, after he hadn't been back in 5 moonrises, I left Coal behind our bush and searched for him. I wandered around for what seemed like seasons, but I found him in a Twoleg nest! And with a pampered little white she-cat rubbing flanks with him! So I bolted back to Coal and we took off the next morning. Half a moon later, I'm right here, being held as a prisoner by this Clan, or whatever you call yourselves. You seem like an organized band of strays to me."

"We are SnowClan and I am very sorry to hear about your problem. I'm sure you are happier as a rogue than you were as a… what did you say? Stray?"

"Hey, we're still strays, and tonight, we're going to get out of this place!"

Littlebelly looked away and stared hard at the ground. She couldn't understand this cat, as hard as she tried! She rested her head on her paws and fell asleep.

Waking up a little after sunhigh, Littlebelly saw dark clouds begin to cover the sun and the rest of the sky. She looked to her left and noticed that Coal was asleep in the corner, but Cloud was out of the cave.

A loud yowling alerted Littlebelly and she looked in the direction of it. Cloud and Wildstar were standing beside the Fallen Skyrock with backs arched and claws extended.

"Let me leave! You can keep the kit! She's old enough to care for herself! That's how I grew up!" Cloud's screech filled the gorge.

"How dare you leave a helpless kit to fend for herself, surrounded by cats she doesn't know! You can't leave until you've sat in that cave for 3 sunrises! Your sentence will be extended if you do not go back right _now!_"

"_Never!_ I have better places to be and better things to do! That defenseless kit would be dead to me too, if only I had allowed Crow to have her!" Snapping her head to Littlebelly, she yowled, "I never told you that Crow asked for her back. She would have been better off with kittypets caring for her, but I wanted to seem better than him. Now I know that I didn't ever deserve her." She turned back to Wildstar and cried, "Keep her! Teach her your ways! She's better off without me." She almost turned to run off, but a light drizzle began falling and Wildstar yowled in frustration. She stood on her hind paws and slid out her claws. Cloud leaped at her before she had time to do so herself.

They began clawing at each other. A crack of thunder sounded close by. "Stop!" some cat screeched, but they didn't cease fighting.

Suddenly, Lightning struck what was left of the old Skyrock and came crashing down. Littlebelly quickly turned her head to look at Coal and hoped that she was still asleep in the corner.

She wasn't. The little kit was standing at the opening of the cave with her mouth wide open and green eyes hollow with shock. Littlebelly dared to turn her head to see what happened.

The rock had fully crushed Cloud beneath its weight, but only Wildstar's back half was trapped under the smooth stone. Littlebelly dashed over to the rock and stared at the header. She turned around to face the cats standing around the gorge. "Well, what are you all standing about for? Get down here and help me move this boulder!" She saw cats flooding into the clearing and turned to push the smooth surface of the Half-Skyrock. Every other cat was trying to nudge it or push it. The stone also being wet made it difficult to roll away but with every cat pushing it at once made it roll over to reveal the Leader's squashed half and Cloud's flat body. Blood was splattered all around them.

"Littlebelly, this is it. This was my last life."

"But you said you had four lives left!"

"I lost 3 more lives to those wounds you and Leopardpelt gave me. You will take good care of this Clan much better than I had. Don't follow my pawsteps. Follow Leafstar's. You remember those nursery stories about Firestar, Sandstorm, and Leafstar, don't you?"

"I am so sorry. If I had known you would die so many times after I attacked you, I never would have."

"You couldn't have helped me after the rock crushed me."

"Don't leave, Wildstar. We still need you!"

"I trust you with the Clan. They are in good paws. Do you know why I named you Littlebelly?" Without a response, she continued, "Whenever I looked at you, you were always eating the smallest bit of prey from the pile! I thought you hardly ever ate." Littlebelly gave her a confused look. She added, "I thought you should know that you weren't named after you lost a tuft of fur and grew it back brown." Wildstar's breath was coming out in short, fast pants. "Goodbye, clanmates. And may StarClan light your path, Littlestar." Wildstar stopped breathing, convulsed, and lay still.

Every cat's eyes were on Littlebelly when she looked up and around. Polarscar began chanting, "Littlestar! Littlestar!" Every cat joined in except for Coal, who was slowly placing each heavy pawstep in front of the other towards the corner of her den.

* * *

**Purple sombreros, hangers, seeds, fence. Our child devoured its favorite caramelized lamp while it shaved his nu-uhs.**

**LAWL! Thought I'd lighten the mood with random hilarity. Did it work? Leave a comment :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n- i forgot to do disclaimers... I don't own warriros or the warrior code, i just modified it all.**

* * *

Leader/Healer: Littlestar- black she-cat with brown ears, paws, tail-tip, and spot on belly

Deputy: Leopardpelt- long-haired, fluffy brown she-cat with unusual leopard spots.

Warriors:

Mouseclaw- dark brown calico tom; apprentice: Thrushpaw

Beecloud- long-haired black and golden tom

Torntail- silver tom

Polarscar- white tom with strange hairless paws

Foxsnatcher- reddish tom with narrow face and bushy tail

Whiteflame- white she-cat with thin, airy fur

Voleheart- brown tabby tom; apprentice: Snowpaw

Goldenriver- orange tom, former kittypet; apprentice: Juniperpaw

Flurryswipe- white tom

Mintfeather- white she-cat with cream patches

Apprentices:

Queens:

Angelleaf- brown she-cat with white flanks, expecting Goldenriver's kits

Honeystump- golden she-cat with white flecks, mother of Beecloud's kit, Icekit (white she-kit with gray underbelly)

Tulipstem- reddish she-cat

Elders:

Lostnose- gray tom, retired early due to lost tail and sense of smell

Squirrelscratch-light silvery she-cat

Gorsebloom- yellowish she-cat

_**Chapter 6**_

_Hoping that at least a small_ fragment of the Skyrock was still above the leader's den, Littlebelly went to the top of the cliff to receive her 9 lives. Her Clanmates were already asleep, so she seized the moment. They all went to their dens early because they wanted to forget about what had happened earlier. Littlebelly saw that the entire Skyrock had fallen to the gorge. She trotted to the Whispering Cave where the old medicine cats would have shared tongues with StarClan and collected moss. At least, that's what Littlebelly was told. She lay down on the soft mushy earth and slept.

When she woke, a face was burning her gaze. Littlebelly blinked and saw the cat clearly. It was a she-cat. Black with a brown muzzle. She was oddly familiar to Littlebelly, but didn't seem to ring a kittypet bell…

"_Starlingfern!" _Her mother had come to visit her in a dream! "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, little one."

"That may be my name, but I'm not so little anymore!" She purred and felt like an apprentice again. She had been a warrior for such a short time that it didn't feel any different from her usual actions. Now she was becoming leader! "Anyway, are you here to give me my first life?"

"Yes I am, Little_star_. With this life, I give you compassion. Use it to make good choices from your heart and care for all of your Clan from the newest born kit to the elder on the brink of death." Starlingfern and Littlebelly touched noses, and the new leader felt a burning warmth rush through her, warming her from ears to tail-tip.

A strange old cat Littlebelly had never seen before stepped up in place of Starlingfern. "I am Frecklewish. I was the last medicine cat before SnowClan was reformed."

"It is an honor to meet you. Are you happy with your Clan's decisions to change?"

"I had to. I was the first deputy." She stifled a purr and looked sternly at Littlebelly. "With this life, I give you loyalty. Keep to your promises even in the darkest of times. Never desert your Clan. They will always need you, even after you have joined us in StarClan." Another wave of fire seared through Littlebelly, but this time it burned. It burned like a broken promise. Frecklewish stepped back to reveal Tangleclaw.

She was old as ever, but held her head up to see the newest leader of SnowClan. "Greetings. I came here to give you your third life. With it, I give you bravery. Use it to defend your Clan against foxes, badgers, rats, and," stifling a purr, Tangleclaw struggled to get the next few words out, "very tall trees." A bolt of lightning shocked Littlebelly and she fought to keep herself from collapsing. She felt wide awake now, with every whisker on her face alert for any danger, not that she'd find any with StarClan.

A broad white tom shoved his way between Littlebelly and Tangleclaw. "I'm Whitestar! I'm responsible for SnowClan and Wildstar! I don't understand how she came to be so selfish! _I _never taught her that. _I _never saw her doing that before _I _took her on to be _my_ apprentice. Anyway, _I _came here to give you a life for medicine. Use your knowledge of herbs well to heal your Clan and strengthen it. We will be here to guide you through your tough situations. There is not a thing we cannot mend together." After the searing pain and gust of wind that carried herb-scent on it had passed, Littlebelly walked around a boasting Whitestar to greet another broad tom, whom she guessed would be Sharpstar.

"Hello."

"Let's get on with this. You don't have much more time to chatter. I give you a lifetime of understanding. Use it to make choices that will benefit you _and_ others. Give _every _cat a fair say; don't punish them any more for their mistakes than they deserve." Another burning feeling swished through her and Littlebelly opened her eyes to see that Sharpstar had gone. A vision of a tree with dappled leaves came to her and she blinked, opening here eyes to see a she-cat cleaning her paws.

"Hello, Littlestar. I am Leafstar. The vision you saw was the vision that Echosong received from StarClan telling her that I should become the first leader of SkyClan. I will give you a life of knowledge. Know what you are doing before you do it. Think carefully and your mistakes will seem on purpose. And you can mold your own destiny. That crazy, selfish tom over there made up the new warrior code; I made up a new part of the warrior code, why can't you do as you please? Follow your heart." A jolt of lightning pounded throughout Littlebelly's head as the first leader of the new SkyClan touched noses with her.

"Speaking of your heart…" a light brown she-cat came up to Littlebelly on her right side.

"Drystream! I'm glad to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Little_star_! I want to give you a life for love. I never got a chance to find love or a chance to make Flurryswipe look my way, but be sure that your sister and he find it together. Then love your sister, respect her decisions, and love the whole of your Clan." A bubbling warmth gave Littlebelly energy. Then the warmth became a searing flame as if she was standing over a fire. Littlebelly's eyes shot open just before a tail rested on her back and the pain went away. _Comfort._

"The life I give you is filled with comfort." Littlebelly looks to her left and sees Hollybite resting beside her. "Use it to soothe the kits of your Clan in any trouble. By kits, I mean the whole of your Clan. Any cat will feel small and defeated in tough times. They will need the comfort of their leader like a mother comforts her kits." Without being touched on the nose, Littlebelly scrunched her eyes shut to an icy cool feel. Only moments later, she felt like she was trapped in a block of ice, then a nose touched hers and the pain of extreme cold went away.

Her eyes eased open and the sight of Hollybite's golden pelt faded away and a crimson pelt replaced it. Wildstar was standing before Littlebelly, in all of her 'greatness.'

"Littlebelly, are you ready to lead SnowClan into any battle, into their fates, and keep them safe with all of your lives, until you have lost your ninth?"

"I do."

"Then with the power of StarClan, I give you your ninth life for strength. Use it to pull your Clan as you please them and hold them all together." A cool nose touched Littlebelly and she felt stars in her paws, and the strength of 10 toms surged through her body. Her claws outstretched, they grew twice in size, twice in sharpness. Her muscles began rippling. She stood tall and strong, pulling her claws back in.

All cats from SkyClan and SnowClan that had joined StarClan were chanting as one, "Littlestar! Littlestar!" After the chanting died down, Cats began to fade away. Littlestar sat patiently until the last cat standing near her was Starlingfern.

"I love you, Littlestar. And I miss you with all of my being. Tell this to your sister too." Starlingfern began fading before she added, "And tell Polarscar that I love him, and I can't wait to see him again!" She vanished, and Littlestar snapped her eyes open to the light green mossy cave once more. _Time to greet my Clan!_

Littlestar emerged from her den. It had been two moons since she had gotten her 9 lives. Juniperkit, Thrushkit, and Snowkit were all made into apprentices in the last moon. She was allowing Coal to settle in before she decided whether she wanted to go be a kittypet or join the Clan for good.

Littlestar has gotten more and more worried since she seems to want to stay in the nursery. "Coal, can I speak with you?"

"Yeah, ok Littlestar."

"Come with me." The Healer led the way to her little clearing and sat down. Coal followed suit. "How do you like the Clan so far? Is it fun for you?"

"Oh, yes, Littlestar! I've loved staying here! The kits are so much fun to play with! But it isn't so fun carrying out the apprentice duties while I'm not an apprentice."

"You aren't doing _everything_ apprentices do. Usually they learn to hunt and fight. Wouldn't you like to learn how to do those things too?"

"Listen, I know how to hunt for myself and I can use those skills to defend myself. I understand my situation and I don't need your comfort. I know I've taken too long to give you an answer, but I just can't think straight. Should I be a kittypet with my father who hated me? Who left my mother and me to fend for ourselves? Who never wanted me to be born?" Coal looked distraught, but she kept going. "Or should I stay here? With this _clan_ that I don't know? The clan that killed my mother?"

"Coal, no cat would have killed your mother. It was obviously the Skyrock that crushed her." Feeling resentment, Littlestar wanted to have never mentioned Cloud's death to this 8 moon old kit again.

"No. I watched closely the whole time. Wildstar bit into my mother's neck when the lightning struck. She died _before_ the boulder crushed her."

"Then it was Wildstar who killed her. And Wildstar has died. Isn't that what should have happened? One life for another. There. It all works out."

"I guess. It makes me feel a bit better, but I still can't bear either situation. I need more time to think. And for now, I'll just stay and help out in the nursery. I think Angelleaf's kits will need some cat to play with them when their mother is tired."

"Ok. Please, come tell me as soon as you know where your destiny is guiding your pawsteps. May StarClan, er…" Littlestar didn't know who Coal's ancestors were.

"May StarClan light _your_ path, Littlestar," Coal threw sarcastically over her shoulder on her way through the ferns.

Littlestar was frustrated. She had no way to persuade her into joining the Clan any time soon. A wave of awkward uneasiness washed over Littlestar and lapped at her paws. She was trying really hard to ask Coal to become an apprentice. _Too_ hard. She didn't want to _scare_ her away or annoy her into her father's nest! Littlestar scratched at the grass beneath her paws and thought to climb a tree to clear her mind.

Once going up a tail-length or two, the she-cat scrabbled down the trunk and felt the cool earth beneath her pads once again. She licked down her fur twice to make sure none of it was fluffed up anymore, and then padded to her den to sleep off the uneasiness.

After a restless attempt of a nap, the leader of SnowClan got up and hopped out of her den. She went for the fresh-kill pile, but a high-pitched yowl from the nursery made her stop and turn her head. Littlestar bolted up the rocks to the cave that the queens sheltered in with their kits.

Tulipstem met her at the entrance, "Angelleaf is kitting!"

"I knew it was going to happen soon. She's kitting a bit late, but at least it's happening. She turned around to get Leopardpelt to fetch herbs, but once she was fully turned, she noticed that she was nose-to-nose with her sister whose mouth had a leaf wrap of kitting herbs and a stick in it.

"Good, we're ready!" Littlestar got out of the way to let her sister up to the den and she followed in. The other queens left with the kits and Coal, and Whiteflame jumped into the nursery comfort her daughter.

"You'll be fine! Your kits will be beautiful and healthy, just you wait and see."

"I'd really like to get this done with so I can _see_ for myself!" A pulsing of pain seemed to flowed through the queen.

"On this next wave of pain, you should push," Littlestar instructed.

"But Littlestar! She's not ready yet!" Leopardpelt mewed anxiously.

"The kits are late. We've waited almost an extra quarter moon! I think she can do it any time she needs. I suggest now because it's been long enough."

The queen pushed the kit out on the next wave of pain. Littlebelly bit open the sac and moved the kit to Leopardpelt to lick warm. "A tom," Leopardpelt mewed. Another kit was coming out, but Angelleaf stopped before she was done.

"_What_ are you doing?! The kit needs to come out!"

"I can't do this," Angelleaf panted. "It hurts so much! I just know I'll die! My kits won't have a mother. Surely it can wait until I'm ready?"

"You _stupid _furball! What an excuse for a queen! It's as if you've never seen a kitting! That can _never_ happen! If you even so much as try that, they'll die and you'll die! It's been put off too long and the kits are ready."

"I heard you yelling at my mate!" Goldenriver's growl was heard at the entrance of the nursery. "She is _kitting, _in case you haven't noticed! Or are you as cold-hearted as Wildstar?"

Leopardpelt spoke for Littlestar, "There is no time for this! Angelleaf is in a lot of pain and we can't remember what to do if _you're_ poking your head in here trying to tell us to be calm in a situation like this! Your mate and kits are on the border between life and StarClan! Now go!" She hissed at him one more time before he skittered down the rocks to the den below.

Littlestar saw that Angelleaf had gotten the last kit out while she was watching her sister yowl at the queen's mate. Whiteflame was vigorously licking the other kit as Angelleaf was lying almost still on the nursery ground. Her breaths were short and shallow.

Before Littlestar could reach the queen, she convulsed in a bout of pain and stayed limp. The Healer padded up to Angelleaf to see that she was dead. She lifted a paw to feel her still-swollen belly and felt another kit there. Thinking of what to say to her Clan, the leader leaped up on the Fallen Skyrock and said, "All cats old enough to climb a tree, gather here by the Fallen Skyrock to hear my news." Cats left their meals by the fresh-kill pile and streamed out of their dens to hear what Littlestar had to tell them. Once every cat had settled, she began, "Angelleaf has had two kits! They are both toms, and they are very weak." Reassuring mews came from the Clan. "But I am afraid I have bad news to tell as well. One kit was unborn and Angelleaf had passed. We will all grieve for her and the last kit as well as take care of the other two as best as we can." Grief stricken expressions flashed across cats' faces quickly. "The meeting has ended. You may return to your meals and your dens."

"Wait!" A she-cat screeched. Every cat turned to the direction of the voice by the old Rockpile and saw Coal standing there, plain as day with her fur washed down from ears to tail-tip. "I have made my decision! Because of the lost kit and warrior, I will stay to replace them."


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the long wait on this chapter... school and all**

**And sorry for making it so short... school and all**

**oh, one more- sorry if it's confusing. Before I wrote it, I drew up a diagram of every cat who's related.**

**I am planning on writing another after I wrap this story up. It'llprobably be shorter and it'll just go back in time with past leaders until it just stops at Sharpstar... Unless I get too lazy and just stop with Wildstar.**

**Yeah.**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Leader/Healer: Littlestar- black she-cat with brown ears, paws, tail-tip, and spot on belly

Deputy: Leopardpelt- long-haired, fluffy brown she-cat with unusual leopard spots.

Warriors:

Mouseclaw- dark brown calico tom; apprentice: Thrushpaw

Beecloud- long-haired black and golden tom

Torntail- silver tom

Polarscar- white tom with strange hairless paws

Foxsnatcher- reddish tom with narrow face and bushy tail

Whiteflame- white she-cat with thin, airy fur

Voleheart- brown tabby tom; apprentice: Snowpaw

Goldenriver- orange tom, former kittypet; apprentice: Juniperpaw

Flurryswipe- white tom; apprentice: Coalpaw

Mintfeather- white she-cat with cream patches

Apprentices:

Coalpaw- dark gray tabby she-cat, from twolegplace

Queens:

Honeystump- golden she-cat with white flecks, mother of Beecloud's kit, Icekit (white she-kit with gray underbelly) Also caring for Angelleaf's kits,

Tulipstem- reddish she-cat

Elders:

Lostnose- gray tom, retired early due to lost tail and sense of smell

Squirrelscratch-light silvery she-cat

Gorsebloom- yellowish she-cat

_**Chapter 7**_

"_Flurryswipe, you have shown great courage_ and your loyalty to SnowClan and I think you are ready to have your first apprentice." Littlestar was addressing the Clan after Coal's outburst.

Flurryswipe was definitely the perfect cat to be Coal's mentor. He was compassionate and patient and always binding himself to the warrior code. Of course, two moons ago when Littlestar told Leopardpelt that she could have her own mate and choose her own destiny, he was almost always with Leopardpelt and sometimes forgot about his duties. Now that he will have an apprentice, his behavior should improve.

"Coal, step forward," she went on. "From this day, until you have completed your warrior training, your name shall be Coalpaw. Flurryswipe will be your mentor. I hope you both learn from each other. This is where you touch noses with him," Littlestar added silently to Coalpaw. They touched noses and the crowd of cats began cheering.

"Coalpaw! Coalpaw!"

After the Clan meeting ended, Littlestar went up to her sister who was twining tails with Flurryswipe. They've been much closer than they have ever been in the last 2 moons. Clan gossip says that kits are not far off. "How are you two doing?"

Leopardpelt just started purring while Flurryswipe answered for them both, "We are excellent. Thanks to the blessing from StarClan, we can really be mates! We don't have to have any more secret meetings in the forest, where not even StarClan could see us."

"Secret meetings? How long have you been having secret meetings?" Littlestar was flabbergasted. Her sister was bending the warrior code before StarClan said they were allowed to shape their own destinies?

"Only a few seasons. About a moon or two after I became a warrior," Leopardpelt said calmly. She was so collected, Littlestar thought her sister, the deputy, had hives and hives of bees in her brain. _Does she not understand how bad that could have been if she had kits _before_ StarClan approved?_

"We have some news for you and the whole Clan, but I'm sure it's been around the gorge awhile," Flurryswipe mewed.

"What news? That you two are officially mates? It's a bit late for that announcement."

"No, Littlestar. Even bigger news."

"You're going to finally start training Coalpaw and _not_ sit here like a dead leaf waiting for seasons until you become a part of the ground?"

"Sorry. I just thought I should be here with Leopardpelt when she told you that she's -,"

"I'm going to have kits!" Leopardpelt finished for him. Her mew rang around the gorge and made every head turn. Birds flew up and out of trees. The forest was silent.

"You're _what?!_" Littlestar was excited and terrified all at once. It hadn't been that long since they had gotten permission from StarClan to be mates. It seemed too soon. "You know what happened to Angelleaf just this morning, right? How can you risk your whole life so soon?"

"Polarscar and Starlingfern were only warriors for 4 moons until our mother found out she was going to have kits. It has been almost 6 since we were made into full warriors. Don't be negative! This will be great for the Clan. We need more kits anyway!"

"What we _need_ is more apprentices, so hurry up and have your kits! Let them grow up big and strong! It'd be more mouths to feed, but more hunters to fulfill duties." Littlestar became light-hearted suddenly and decided to just go with whatever happens. StarClan can step in if anything bad happens.

"No, no, _no!_" Littlestar was watching Flurryswipe train Coalpaw in a clearing well away from camp. The wind became sharper and leaves covered the ground in a blanket. Beside her, a swollen-bellied Leopardpelt sat, eyes glowing playfully as she watched her mate struggle with his apprentice. "You would think after a moon and a half, you would finally have this move down! Now it's leap, corkscrew, _scoop_, then bite. You need to draw the prey closer to you before you try and nip it."

Littlestar purred and thought of what her sister said back in the nursery before they left.

"You're going to watch Coalpaw train? I want to come. I can get some fresh air while I spend more time around Flurryswipe."

"_More_ time? Is there any amount of time longer than _always_?"

Her sister had purred. "I love him very much. Enough to carry his kits _and_ still carry on with some of my duties as deputy."

"Have you had fun sitting about the gorge, sunning yourself as your mate brings you the freshest kill he's made? Have you had fun lazing away while telling others what to do and where to go?" Littlebelly mewed playfully.

Leopardpelt nudged her shoulder to show affection then hauled herself up to leave. "I just wish I could go back a moon when I could still run and hunt. Now look at me! I'm _huge!"_

Littlestar purred in laughter and focused back on Coalpaw. She still hadn't gotten the move quite right yet. She needed to jump a bit higher to get in the full turn so she can immediately scoop once her paws touched ground again. "Coalpaw, would you like me to show you how to do the move correctly?"

"No, I'm fine. I can get this on my own." She never turned to look at her leader when she spoke, just stared at the ground.

"You know, _I _made up that move. You'd be getting a lesson from the Healer, and the creator of that move."

"Well…" Coalpaw gazed at the sky for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts. "I suppose since you made it up, I could see how it was originally performed."

"That's the spirit!" Littlestar focused on a twig a fox length away. She crouched down just a bit, leaped, twisted her body in the air, and stretched out her paw to bring the twig closer to her. She bit hard into the twig and snapped it in half. The black-and-brown she-cat looked up and blinked to those watching. A hunting patrol was watching from behind Leopardpelt with scrawny prey hanging in each of their jaws.

Foxsnatcher spoke up through a shrew, "Way to go, Littlestar. You caught a decent twig! It'll feed the elders well."

Whiteflame shouldered at his flank hard enough to push him a tail-length and knock this prey out of his mouth. She dropped her own prey to scold him, "That is your _leader_ if you haven't noticed! She may be younger than you, but that doesn't give you a right to talk down on her like that."

Littlestar snorted and mewed, "It's okay, Whiteflame. I can handle him. You all can go back to the gorge. I'll have a word with _Foxsnatcher_." She spit out his name like a curse and scowled with her eyes slitted when the patrol, Flurryswipe, Coalpaw, and Leopardpelt hesitated to leave, unsure what was going on with their Healer.

"What are you gonna d-do to me?"

Littlebelly slowly, pawstep by pawstep, got closer to him with a snarl on her face.

"Please don't exile me! Or hurt me! Or rip all of my fur out!" Foxsnatcher whimpered. Littlestar raised her paw slowly unsheathing her claws. He was now cowering against a tree, his eyes shut tight, waiting for something that was never coming to him in the first place.

Littlestar cuffed him on the ear. "You need to learn how to keep your mouth shut! You can learn stuff like that from the elders. In fact, why don't you take on apprentice duties for a moon or two until you can grasp the technique of not talking back to your leader. Now go. The elders' ticks aren't going to jump off by themselves." The red, fluffy warrior bolted away from her towards camp.

Littlestar began sniffing out prey. Though, she could only think of how soon her sister was to kitting while she trotted back to camp. _How easy will her kitting be?_


End file.
